Finding Freedom
by stargazer.of.literature
Summary: Jennifer Rose McKinley's now sixteen almost seventeen, she goes to find her biological father, but instead finds she has a half brother and a family secret she never expected. Along the way she falls in love..
1. Trying Freedom

**Chapter One:**

I can't believe I am actually running away from home. I have never done a bad thing in my life, especially something as severe as leaving my parents a note saying I was going to try to find my biological father on the kitchen counter and that I'd be back in a few weeks. Knowing my adoptive parents their brains are probably exploding right now.

You see, I am adopted because my mother was murdered when I was ten years old. The police turned it into a cold case, filed after no new evidence came in. My mother was out hiking when she was shot in the head on a popular trail. No one saw anything, her body was clean of any fingerprints and the gun was never found. So that was it, my father left my mom when she got pregnant so I have never met him and I had no other real family. So after she died I was put in foster care when the McKinley family adopted me at when I was eleven. I am now sixteen…almost seventeen.

I put my beautiful black jeep in park and jump out. I head into the bar that I decided to stop at for food and a self pep talk.

A few weeks ago school ended and I just out of the blue decided I needed to go out looking for my biological father I knew if I didn't I would regret it As I walk into the bar my mind starts racing, I mean how am I going to confront a man I've never met before and have been told is a terrible person and tell him that I am his daughter. All I know about him is that he had black hair and was big and scary also that his last name is Blakeley, and of course that he lives here in this forest reserve town. The most important part about this visit that you must know, because I would not have wanted to confront this man if possible, but the thing I have always felt a pull to this place and knowing HIM. My mother never really talked about him, only that he was dangerous and had a wolfish attitude. Ever since my mom died I've felt as though she lost the chance to tell me something about myself. I mean I feel so different like I'm destined to be someone or something else, yes I know all teenagers feel that way but my feelings are so strong that I NEEDED to come here and learn about my heritage. I am done living in the dark.

I walk into the bar called Sly Fox, grab something to eat and sit down at a small table. I see a few happy couples in the corner talking and laughing with each other. I feel a longing and envious pull to them because knowing I have never had that chemistry with anyone. I mean yeah I've had boyfriends but no one I could really call my soul mate or best friend, I guess I'm kind of a loner in that sense. These beautiful girls with their good-looking boyfriends just looked so content and blissfully happy. One couple, a small blonde and her boyfriend, a big dark haired college guy start to stand up so I turn away. He had dark brown eyes like me and dark hair only his is black and mine is a deep chocolate brown almost like my mothers, I have a light tan and stand at 5'5" with a skinny lean build from track. The dark haired boyfriend walks towards the door where I'm sitting and he turns to look at me, I feel a connection, not a sexual attraction but like when you see someone on the street and they look familiar and you feel you should know them but you cant place them. He looks at me like he feels the same but then the small blonde pounces on his back grasping his full attention and they walk out the door laughing. The moment is gone, I guess I have just gotten lonely on my trip, I cant really know anyone here. I shake my head, finish my food and walk out the door.

I walk out the front door of the Sly Fox and head to my black jeep at the end of the lot. As I'm walking to my car I feel a ringing in the back of my head, you know that feeling you get when someone is watching you. Being that my dad is a navy seal and has taught me how to fight I am not too worried, and its probably nothing anyway so I keep walking. I pick up the pace, acknowledging I might have to run which would be a peace of cake I mean I have won state in the mile, this sucker wouldn't stand a chance. I glance behind me making sure no one is there as I turn around I see the parking lot is empty but as I start to turn back around I see a dark figure out of the corner of my eye. Damn it Jennifer! Always remember to never lose sight on what is in front of you! I could just hear my dads disappointed sigh now..But my after thought was too late the dark figure that jumps out in front of me is too massive and it is too late to register what's happening, a bag is put over my head and I feel a sharp sting in my right thigh. I look down but my vision turns blurry and I feel the ground rushing towards me.

"Waky Waky little wolfy." A annoying male voice says. Where The Hell Am I.

"Come on I know your awake. GET UP ALREADY!" he says getting frustrated. Well guess what asshole your quite annoying yourself. I open my eyes to find I am in a human sized cage. AW HELL.

My first instinct is to start panicking but I quickly but that aside and glance around, I am in a small room with nothing in it but my cage as far as I can tell. I compose myself and turn towards my capture.

"Who are you? And what am I doing here?" good first questions to ask when you've been kidnapped.

"I am doctor Ellis and you are here my little furry friend because I would like to study you" Ok I was wrong this freak show actually answered my question, but boy was he a creeper. My dad was gonna kill me after he finds out I let my guard down. Wait did he just call me his furry little friend. WTF.

"Ok, look buddy I don't know what your talking about but my dad is a navy seal and whens he finds out I'm gone he's going to hunt you down and kill you so I recommend letting me go." Take that you little turd.

"Oh, I know who your adoptive father is.." Wait how does he know I'm adopted, wow good job jenny you got yourself a stalker…great.. " But you and I both know why I have taken you…"

"uhh, no I don't." I say getting really freaked out.

"Ahhh..I see that your mother never told you..before her..upsetting death.." He says with a smile at the end. How does he know this? I guess I really do have a stalker.

"I don't know what you are talking about but again I advise you let me go." I say with urgency in my voice I didn't have before.

"Well child then I guess I should inform you that you are a werewolf or as your kind likes to call themselves. A Shifter. You see your mother ran away from her pack when she was a year older than you, running from her mate her parents set her up with. That is when she met your father he was a evil creature, he got her pregnant then left her and came back here to his pack. I my little one am a hunter, I hunt your kind and kill them. I actually used to kill the panther shifters but then I found your kind, a more violet and disgusting kind. You stay in packs and kill, you see your kind doesn't know about me yet because the panther shifters are loners and stay away from packs, so werewolves don't know about hunters. It wasn't until a friend of mine, Mason, I met him in college and he would not stop ranting about werewolves. I did not tell him about the panther shifters and just thought he was a normal crazy. But then I went hunting and found your mother. Yes I know what your thinking, and no I did not kill her, I was studying her when she attacked my partner, when she realized we were following her. He had no choice but to kill her. That is why you are here, I was hoping after she died I could study her body but the police got involved and her body disappeared. I have been trying to track you down for a while and found you a few years ago. I was waiting for you to come here looking for answers about your family. HAHA I knew you would come. So there my little one is the answer to your question. Are you content now? Will you obey me?." He says walking away and disappearing behind a white door, not waiting for me to answer. Which is good because I was frozen in place not able to speak. When he first started talking I was like holly shit this guy is a complete looney but then I had a werid sense that he was telling the truth and everything started to make sense. I mean my mom was a veterinarian and she always went hiking and she talked about my biological father as wolfish and her death made sense. Could all this really be true or was I just as crazy as Doctor Ellis. But the one thing I couldn't stop thinking about was my moms killer, he knew him! He could tell me who he is and where he is. I find that I have this knew rush in me and a feeling of clearness. First order of business is I have to get out of here. Duhh I know. Then I need information on this guy and this partner he was talking about. THEN I would find my biological father and have him explain everything. Having a navy seal as a father was a bad thing at times (like when he gets shipped away) but also can be a good thing like when one of the first things he teaches you is how to fight and how to pick a lock. I survey the room and see it is completely shut off from any natural light and vents. So I look around the cage and see the huge lock on the cages door. I pick through my long dark wavy hair and find my bobby pins I used to clip back my bangs. I take them out and start on the lock. I needed to get out of here as soon as possible. The lock was a little difficult but I open it in a few minutes. I sit back on my heals and take a deep breath before I push the cage open and tip toe towards the white door in the dimly lit cell. I put my hand to the handle and turn. Of course it doesn't budge must need a key card. I see the touch screen off to the side. SHIT. Ok plan B, I back up against the wall on the other side of the door and survey the room again, I need to find a weapon. I walk back over to the cage and try prying a long metal pole out from the corner of the cage and am able to unhook the lose bottom strip and free it. So I walk back over to the door and wait.

I have been waiting for at least an hour when I hear footsteps.

"Look Chaser she is very raw she just learned about her wolf background and doesn't know anything you mustn't upset her or I am afraid she will break." I hear Doctor Ellis say.  
>"Look Eli, I don't give a crap I want to know everything she does, she is probably lying, her mother must have told her where her father is before she died, and by knowing that she knows where the entire pack is." I freeze at the new unfamiliar chilling deep voiced man walking towards the door. The first thing I think of is, he must be Doctor Ellis's partner who killed my mother. But I couldn't get distracted about something that is only a guess if I was to get out of here, I could feel the adrenalin rush coming when I hear a click at the door. My muscles tighten in anticipation of the fight that is about to occur. I see the door opening…..<p>

"Chaser I don't k- wait where is sh-..!" Doctor Ellis starts to say but I smash him over the head before he finishes. I knew he was going to be the easier target so I took him out first, of course he wasn't dead but knocked unconscious. I also knew that taking out this Chaser dude was going to be difficult if not impossible I mean my mother couldn't even…NO STOP! I couldn't think about that right now. I needed to concentrate and tap into my fighting mode. I pull myself together and turn to look at my next attacker. All I see is a huge scary looking guy with a surprised look on his face that quickly turns into a deathly scowl.

"You little bitch. I'm going to kill you, I don't care if Eli wants you alive, your kind should be extinct." He ends with that by jumping towards me, which I easily dodge. But he quickly returns back to fighting mode and tries to land a blow to the side of my head and I duck missing it by centimeters. I take no time to think and just act out of instinct, I find myself in my garage with my dad where we would practice boxing and combat skills. I pretend I'm fighting with him and not this stranger. I land a blow to his side with the pole which doesn't affect him much. But I expected that would happen so, it was only to distract him for a second while I land a kick to his gut. He reels over and I take the chance to knee him in the face and slash the pole across his head making a bloody gash, good take that you murderer. I was overwhelmed with hatred for him and what he did to my mother, my body started to shake and with that he jumped back up knocking me to the ground taking control. He twists my arm back and I lose my grip of the pole. He lands a blow to my face which to any other girl would be the end of the fight but for me I was use to this kind of abuse from boxing, it still hurt but I didn't give up. I used my legs to wrap around one of his legs and using the other to push his knee back bending his leg in a painful way. He grunts and loosens his grip so I take the chance to grab the pole again and whack the hide of his head he hollers and rolls off me. I think about finishing him off but I don't take the chance which looking back on it I should but no, I run out the door through hallways and doors and until I reach the outside. By then I hear an alarm but I don't care, right now I'm in the zone. I run like hell into the dark unknown forest outside the facility. I find a road and just keep running and running…even when my lungs burn and my legs feel like they are going to fall off. I just keep running.

By now I must have been running in this dark forest for what seemed like hours. I reach a dirt path and follow that. All I see is the black trees in front of me and the only light is the white moon above me. That's when I hear voices and I start to run faster. But they are getting closer I need to stop because my body is so exhausted but I don't I keep running out of fear. I hear footsteps all around me.

"Hey! What are you doing out here! HEY STOP!" I realize its not the murderers voice but I don't care I keep running. Then I feel someone tackle me to the ground.


	2. At First Glance

**Alright so i know this ones kinda short but i just edited it and couldn't wait to post it, (Chapter three will be up soon) so this is where you get the first glance of Jenn and Jake together(hence the chapter name) later on there will be more romance but right now i just need to get the story line straight and explain all the characters and add the rest of the sherpas in so around chapter four there should be some more of J&J hope you like the chapter! PLEASE REVIEW! xoxo.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Two:<strong>

My body hits the hard ground at a bad angel leaving my right arm(which was already hurt from the other fight) under me twisting it. I kick my tackler off me and jump up to take another swing when some other large male comes up behind me and locks my arms behind me. I try to kick backward but its no use. The guys like a big rock.

"Look we don't want to hurt you, we are Sherpa's and patrol this part of the forest which by the way you are not suppose to be in, we just wanted to know what you are doing here." The one who tackled me gets up and steps into my line of vision. He was built like a football player but not to big, he has bright hazel eyes and short light brown hair, with smooth tan skin and standing at about 6'6". Simply put, he was beyond hot. Which I shouldn't care about cause the dude just tackled me not to mention the fact I was just kidnapped and got away so I didn't trust anyone. I couldn't stop looking into those gorgeous hazel eyes…

STOP! GOSH JENN GET YOUR HEAD STRAIGHT THE DUDE JUST TACKLED YOU!

But I was exhausted and trusted their story. The guy holding my back must have realized I wasn't in fighter's mode anymore and released me.

"I was running away when you attacked me." I said taking a deep breath and stepping forward. I looked behind me and saw four other guys behind me, hidden from view. I look at the guy who had me pinned and then gasped, it was the dark haired boy from the bar and behind him were the blond, the mixed haired one and the dark haired one. I was about to say something when the black haired boy did.

"Wait you're the girl from the bar this morning aren't you? What are you doing out here?" His voice started to get suspicious and he stepped forward. The others behind him did as well.

"And what did you mean when you were running away? Running away from what?" The hot boy who tackled me says.

"Look calm down I-" I started to explain when the hot boy steps forward and says-

"Jesus Christ! What happened to you, your face is all bruised up!" He closes the distance between us and touches my cheek where I'm guessing the now forming bruise is from where the murderer punched me. The others walked around to look at me and they all turn angry at the sight of a girl with a bruised face, I quickly explain realizing I must contact the police anyway.

"After I left the bar I was attacked and taken by this guy who told me crazy stories about how he knew my parents and I'm a werewolf and then he tells me he knows who killed my mother when I was younger, after he leaves I pick the lock to the cage and then run for the door when he comes back I knock him unconscious but this other guy is with him and we get in a fight and he lands a few blows I then am able to get away and run and I just kept running until you guys came." I realize I was rambling but it felt so good to get this off my chest even if it was to complete strangers that I felt a weird pull too. After I stop talking I also realize when I said werewolf they all had frozen and gone stiff. I also notice I started crying, oh great I never cry. I wipe away the tears with my sleeve.

" Lucas do you feel that? Is she one of u-" the blonde haired one starts to say.

The mixed haired one steps forward and takes action addressing the other guys.

"Connor and Rafe you back track her trail NOW, Daniel you go alert the others. Jake you and I are taking her back to Wolford. NOW GO" He says with authority and the blonde and black haired one leave in a flash (I'm guessing who are Connor and Rafe). The dark haired one (Daniel maybe) turns and starts running down the path. The leader who spoke turns back towards me in a calm voice.

"I know this must be confusing for you and you have been through a lot but you must come with us to safety. My name is Lucas and this is Jake." He points to himself and the hot guy who tackled me, or Jake as I now know. I trusted them, don't ask me why it's just a gut feeling.

"I just want to get out of here." I say looking up at Lucas (The leader guy).

"Ok. Follow us." He says and turns toward where Daniel had gone. Jake stays back and follows behind. But I then notice that my legs feel like jelly and I fall backward not able to stop myself. I feel big lean arms wrap around me, catching me. I know its him, Jake, because he was behind me but also when he grabbed me I feel this shock and an urge to tell him never to let go. But I push myself back up and blush. He helps me up and smiles at me.

"You okay? You ran for a long time, you must be exhausted." He says with concern in his eyes. God how could I be attracted this much to someone I just met?

I blush "I'll be ok I'm a runner so I'm used to exhaustion." I force a smile and go on to follow Lucas. I try to concentrate at staring at his back but I was oddly aware of Jake looking at me from behind. I all of a sudden become self aware, my hair must look like a rats nest and with the dirt and bruises all over I must look like a beat up hobo. The trail starts to climb and I can really feel my legs screaming at me, I start to get light headed when I feel strong arms around me again

"Lucas I need to carry her, she is completely out of it after what has happened to her." I feel his voice is full of concern and anger, but not at me.

"Alright then Jake carry her the rest of the way, but hurry we need to speak with the Elders and the other Dark Guardians immediately. " I started to protest when Jakes lean strong soft arms scooped me up and pulled me to his body. I rested my head against his chest and I started to feel safe and warm. I then drifted off to sleep when he started to run; barley making any sound.


	3. Realization

**Chapter Three:**

"..I don't know how she got captured, we just ran into her when she was running away.."

"..what those people did to her…and what she said."

"She must be traumatized….poor girl.."

I am now starting to wake up when I hear these voices, I recognize some of them from the trail but also I hear girl voices and other male older sounding ones.

I try to sit up but my muscles tighten and I can't move. I try to stretch around but it only helps a little, it's enough, because I need to see what going on and who these people are and what happened to me. I start to get out of the bed someone put me in when I see myself in the mirror. My hair looks almost black and my face looks unusually pale and my dark brown eyes are huge and scared looking. But what captures my attention the most is the giant black bruise on my left jaw from the punch the murderer (Chaser) gave me…Son of a Bitch…

I put that out of my mind and pull my hair up into a pony-tail and wipe of the dirt from my jeans and walk towards the door. I open it and step into a long hallway. It has wood floors with old-fashioned wall paper like from the movies, it was beautiful. I listen for where the voices are coming from and walk into a large room.

"She has no idea who she is we need t-" when I walk in the leader, Lucas, stops talking. I see the five guys from the forest last night, I see Jake at the end of a long table sitting down, he smiles at me when I walk in, and I smile back. I have to admit he looks great. I think he just took a shower because the tips of his gorgeous locks are wet, he probably needed to take a shower because he had been carrying my dirty self. I cringe and look away. I also see a few new people, all girls, four of them, and of course all beautiful. They look towards me when Lucas stops talking and the girls gasp.

"I'm sorry I just…"I start to say but stop when an older man at the end of the table holds up his hand.

"No need to be sorry my dear, I am glad we found you when we did, my name is Elder Wilde. It is a great tragedy what happened to you and we all are here to help you." Everyone nods his or her heads in approval. "I know you are confused at the moment but I will explain if you let me. You see the men you were captured by last night are hunters. They have been tracking shifters for a very long time, our pack only recently learned about them from our fellow shifter brother Daniel, he is a panther shifter while we shift into wolves, as do you, or you will in time. May I ask how old you are?" All of what he was saying coincides with what Doctor Ellis was telling me. Does he think that im a, like a, really a…werewolf? Well I guess that would certainly explain why I always felt so different and what the blonde started to say on the trail about if I am one of them. But can I really believe that all this paranormal stuff is real? I am completely silent thinking to myself trying to decide if they were crazy or not. I could teel they knew what I was thinking by their expectant looks. I finally decide that if I was going to be stuck here with a bunch of pressingly paranormal creatures then I might as well go along with it..It did all make sense and as for me..Well I am ready to believe anything at this point, although to my knowledge I have never transformed into a wolf, I'm pretty sure id remember that..I also don't know why he wanted to know my age. I finally speak up.

"Well.."I look at my watch it is 3:00 am July 1. Happy Birthday me. "…as of today I am seventeen. Why?" I say still confused. Wow I'm seventeen…yay me..

"Ahhh….Well then your transformation will be soon. You see when a female shifter turns seventeen her first transformation will be the first full moon after her birthday. Yours I'm afraid is only in seven days. You have one week until you will turn into a true shifter." Elder Wilde says with sadness and a twinkle in his eye.

"May I ask what is your name?" He says, tilting his head to the side.

"Jennifer." I say and his eye brows raise, and he nods his head.

"I am sorry, but I need to ask is your mother Amanda Olmead?" Elder Wilde asks. How did he know my mother?

"Yes…But I don't understand how do you know my mother? Was she part of your pack?" I ask. He nods

"Yes she is one of my greatest regrets. I guessed her because her mothers name was Jennifer. You see a long time ago your mother decided to leave us because she wanted to lead a normal human life, without Jonathan, her mate. What I am confused about is that you couldn't be Jonathan's daughter because she left twenty years ago and you are only seventeen. And I know your father must have been a shifter because I sense full shifter in you and not half shifter like Brittney here." He motions to the black haired girl. Everyone I hav met so far since I have been here seems to know more about my life than I do..

"So may I ask who is your father?" He says inclining his head.

"Actually that is why I came here, you see my mother died when I was ten and I never knew my father. He left before I was born, my mother told me little about him. Only that he had dark hair, he was scary, I was never to contact him, he lived here once, and that his last name was Blakeley." Everyone flinched, gasps and stiffens at my last word; they all turn to the black haired boy named Rafe, the one who recognized me from the bar. Rafe flinches at the name and whips his head towards me.

"That is impossible! Elder Wilde what is she talking about?!" He says turning on Elder Wilde and then back to me with anger on his face. The pretty blonde lays her hand on his chest calming him.

"It can't be…" he mutters staring at me.

"Well this is quite a surprise I must admit, but not unbelievable I am afraid." Elder Wilde starts. He turns to me.

"Well Jennifer. If this is true then Rafe here is your half brother." He ends. WHAT!?

"Wait, what? Excuse me?!" This just keeps getting crazier next their going to tell me that I am from mars! I turn to look at Rafe but he's still frozen in place looking of in the distance with an eerie stillness. I didn't expect this…

"You're telling me that my father is his as well? So my biological father had a whole other family away from my mother?...And where is he? I want to talk to him." I say turning to Rafe who had turned his head being snapped out of his daydreaming at my question.

"The bastards dead. He died in a car crash right before my eighteenth birthday." He says matter a factly. He turns back to Elder Wilde.

"How did you not know I had a half-sister? Don't you guys know everything your pack does even before they do it?" Rafe asks getting tense again raising his voice. The blonde touches his check trying to calm him down, she glances a worried look in my direction.

"Rafe we do not invade the adult shifters privacy when they are away from the pack, it seems like your father had an affair with Ms. Olmead when he was away when you were younger. He might have never even known she got pregnant with Jennifer." Elder Wilde address Rafe calmly.

I sit down trying to absorb all the information that has been given to me in the past day. First, a hunter whose partner killed my mother, kidnapped me. Second, I am a were-wolf, no sorry shifter and in a week I will have my transformation. Third, I came here to find my biological father only to find out he is dead. Finally, I have a half brother I never even knew existed. Gosh what have you gotten yourself into Jenn..

I put my head in my hands overwhelmed and frustrated..

"I think she has had enough I am going to take her to mine and Lindsey's room and get her some new clothes and first aid. " A girl with beautiful fire red hair says while putting her hand on my back and leads me to the door. The others girls follow.

"Kayla we still need to ask her more about the hunter..." Says Lucas to the girl with red hair he called Kayla.

"No Lucas let her go we can ask her after she gets cleaned up, she has been through enough." Says Jake looking at me with concern and sends a scowl towards Lucas.

"I can feel her exhaustion and its quite overwhelming even for me to feel, I agree with Kayla." Says a pretty light brown haired girl, who looks almost as dizzy as me. And what did she mean she could feel my exhaustion. Everyone here is so odd..

"I'm so sorry for what you have been through Jennifer, Kayla will take you to her room and we will talk later." Says Elder Wilde with a small smile. I nod and turn to Kayla but I catch Jake's attention first and he smiles that gorgeous smile at me. I wish I could be alone with him, I needed someone to talk me through all this, someone I trusted, and for some reason I trusted him..

"Ill find you after." He says, I smile back and walk out the door with Kayla. How did he know I wanted to talk to him..

I follow Kayla into the dark hallway and past a couple doors until we reach what I'm guessing is her room. It is pretty big with two twin-sized beds lined up next to each other, she motions her hand towards the bathroom door.

"There is the bathroom, you can take a shower and feel free to use our shampoo and stuff, you look like your Brittney's size so ill go borrow some of her clothes and leave them on the counter. After you get out we can clean up some of your cuts. Then we can talk if you want I know this all must be confusing for you. I know it was for me." She says with a kind smile, the blonde girl, Lindsey, is standing near the door and looks at me with a quizzical look. I nod and say thanks then I head into the bathroom. I strip off my dirty damp clothes and look at my bruises in the mirror. The bruise below my eye is of course the most apparent but I also have bruises along my ribs along with some cuts on my arms and legs from running through the trees and my right shoulder is swollen from being twisted back. I walk into the shower and I turn the water to hot letting my sore muscles relax. I use soap to clean my cuts and I wash my hair like five times hoping to get all the dirt out.

I grab a towel and put on the jeans, sports bra and tank top left on the counter for me. I guess Kayla was right, Brittney is my same size, the jeans and other stuff fit me perfectly. Usually people can't guess my size. I mean I'm skinny, with a flat tan tummy but I've got some curves which is unusual for a runner I comb out my hair looking in the mirror, the bruise on my face looks pretty bad still. My clothes, except for the ones on my arms and my shoulder, hide the rest of the bruises and cuts.

I walk out into the room and find Kayla, Lindsey, Brittney and I think some one said the other girl was named Hayden sitting on the two beds. They look up when I walk in.

"Wow, you look a lot better, does that bruise and those cuts hurt? I could put some medicine on them." Kayla says ushering me over to sit next to her.

No, I'm fine thanks, and thank you Brittney for letting me use your clothes." I say turning to the black haired blue-eyed gorgeous girl.

"No, problem." She says.

"We wanted to talk to you about what happened, everyone thought you'd be more comfortable talking with us without the guys pressuring you." Kayla says softly.

"Ok, well I mean I pretty much told you everything." I say lowering my head.

"Well what happened to the guy who gave you those bruises, I mean obviously you got away but do you know who he was, we know about the facility and everything, the guys told us but we just don't know how they knew about you when we didn't." She said with a confused facial expression.

"Well the guy who took me was named Doctor Ellis and he said that he's a hunter as you know and already knew about Daniels kind, but only newly learned about ours." Wow that was weird to say. OUR .. "He tracked down my mother and that's how she died, when she figured out him and his partner were following her, she attacked them and his partner killed her. That is also who attacked me, but…" God I can't take this its as though being with these girls the knowledge just hit me.."thankfully he didn't do as much damage to me as he did my mother….." I lower my head when I feel the tears swell in my eyes.

"I'm so sorry, you can trust me when I say we will make him pay, he will never touch you again." She says with seriousness in her voice, and I believed her, which was the problem. My head snaps up.

"No, I want to be there when you take him down and I want to be the one to do it, I want to look him in the eye on his last breath, he WILL pay for what he did to my mother." I say after I lower my head back down.

"Ok I understand, actually I understand a lot more than you think, my parents were murdered when I was younger as well and I was adopted. I also didn't find out I was a Shifter until last summer." She says to me. I look up at her.

"I'm sorry… how did you deal with all it? I mean learning about the whole Shifter thing." I say questioning her.

"Well I kind of had a feeling I was different but Lucas helped me get through it, I couldn't have gone through my transformation without him, literally. He is my mate." She says smiling, as if that was a total normal thing to say. I had actually been wondering about the whole mate thing they had been talking about..

"Mate? What do you mean." I say to her.

"Well its kind of like a soul mate concept for shifters, whenever a male shifter goes through the females transformation with her it creates a bond, without a male to go through the transformation with, the female will die." She says the last part slowly. Wait a second did she just say die!?

"Woah, wait. Are you telling me if I don't find some guy to go through my transformation with me in a week I will die?!" I say raising my voice.


	4. Brother?

**Hey guys i am so sorry its been so long since ive posted, cliche but ive been so busy and i promise i will be posting more so go ahead and get attached to this adorable sibling chapter about Jenn and Rafe! You wont have to wait too long for the next chapter! Maybe itll be about Jenn and Jake..or Hayden and Daniel..or Brittney and Connor..or Lucas and Kayla or even Lindsey and Rafe...Maybe all? Just wait and see! love you all PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! Thank you! xoxo**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Four:<strong>

"I know this is hard to grasp, but you have to believe me when I say that yo-" I just can't be hearing this. I cut her off. Jumping up from my spot on the bed next to her.

"NO! Just stop please; I have heard too much today and I can't take one more crazy idea ok? So please just stop." I say, tears starting to fall down my cheeks. I mean how crazy is that!? A female has to have a guy with her for her transformation, when she is at her most vulnerable and in a naked state. I just couldn't do that, not with someone I just met.

I storm out of the room and down a long hallway, through a tall heavy wooden door and into the cool breeze. I just start running. I remember back to what Elder Wilde said, about how my mothers mate Jonathan. How she left him after her transformation. I guess she just used him to get through her transformation, she never loved him, or else she would have stayed. And what is with my biological father? He had an affair with my mother? When he was still married to Rafe's mom? It looks like my mother didn't have good luck with the male species, well that makes two of us. I've never been in love, and I wasn't going to start now. I wasn't going to let some male shifter be there for my transformation, to be my so-called mate. I mean look how well that turned out for my mother. I have to prove to myself I'm strong enough to do this by myself, when my mother wasn't. I know they say I will die, but who knows maybe there is a loophole. All I need to do is find it.

I notice I stopped running. I look around and see I am in a clearing, flowers around me and I can hear birds chirping. It is the most peaceful place I have been too, so I lay down and put my head on a cold smooth rock. I let my eyelids close and sleep surround me.

I let myself for a little while forget what has happened and I just lay there and listen the songs of the birds. And I feel the slight breeze on my cheek. This forest, its like…it feels like home, nothing has ever felt like home. At that moment I know I belong here that this is the place I should be as for everything else I just wish it out of my mind I just enjoy my sweet bliss of the forest of the wilderness.

"Jennifer?" I hear a faint voice call out my name. My eyelids flutter open to find Rafe standing over me, his black hair falling in his face, a face that resembles mine. I'm surprised and flinch back, he does the same.

"I'm sorry, I was out patrolling when I saw you laying here, I wanted to see if you were alright. You know everyone is looking for you. You should get back." He mumbles crossing his arms over his chest; I just roll my eyes, while I get back on my feet and brush of the dirt.

"I can't, Its all just too much. The shifter thing, my transformation, the kidnapping, the mate thing, and my biological father" I cough, well shit way to tumble into that one Jenn… "well our father." I say glancing up at him.

"He was never a father to me, and you will never be a sister." He growls out and turns to walk back into the deep dark forest. I whip my head up and growl right back at him "He was never a father to me either! Or did you forget, he left me then my mother died all I want is closure, maybe a.." I sigh loudly in frustration…"brother…god, I don't know, but I guess I'll never know since you seem to hate me so much!" I didn't know where that last part came from, but its true he seems to hate me, for no reason at all. I am as confused and frustrated as he is. This is knew to me too.

He stops and lowers his head sighing. He turns back around and looks at me with a sad expression. Something I didn't expect from him.

"Umm.. Look Jennifer, I don't hate you, I'm sorry I said that, its just whenever I talk about him I cant help but to react badly, its always been like that. You see you're lucky you never knew him, I'm glad you didn't, who knows what he would have done to you. You see he was a hopeless, pathetic drunk who beat on his kid. I wish I could forget him, that's why I was angry when you came, you made those memories come back, the memories I wish to forget." He says walking closer. I nod my head looking down. God dang Jenn no wonder he's mad.. Have some sensitivity.

"I'm so sorry I had no idea. I would never have guessed something so terrible." I say looking up to see his sad face.

"I dealt with that a long time ago. His blood may run through my veins…umm our veins, but I will never be like him. His mistakes and awfulness taught me how to be a stronger person, taught me life doesn't come so easily too some off us." He says looking up into the sky.

"Your right it doesn't." I say following his gaze, looking up to see the sun starting to peek out of the horizon. I look back at him.

"Rafe I know it's hard for you but could you try? I mean, I don't have any family left, don't get me wrong I love my adoptive parents but they don't understand, they don't know about all this, you do. You could explain it all to me; tell me about my family, the good and the bad. Along the way maybe we could be friends…only if you want." I say, at this point I am so desperate, I am willing to ask my stranger, some one I've known for a few hours for help. Help me try to make since in all of this.

He looks at me and crosses his arms. "I will try Jenn, I will try." With that he smiles and tells me to follow him back to Wolford. I smile to myself maybe this could be good, a brother…gosh I have…a bother..

"Oh thank god! I am so sorry Jennifer I didn't mean to make you upset I just thought you should know!" Kayla runs up to me and pulls me into a bear hug. Lindsay walks over to Rafe and lightly kisses him on the cheek. We all walk back into the building and sit in the sitting area together. Lucas, Daniel, Connor, Brittany, Hayden and finally Jake come and join us.

"Look ill stay here until my transformation but only if you guys let me help you find are after us and who kidnapped me." I say my head held high. I glance over at Jake who looks to be studying me, so I look away.

" The Dark Guardians and the Elders have already begun the hunt to look for them Jennifer, I can promise we will find them and make them pay for what they have done." Lucas says sitting next to Kayla wrapping him arm protectively around her. For a second I find myself craving what all these couples seemed to have, complete and unbreakable love for each other.

* * *

><p><strong>PLEASE Review Review Review Review! XOXOXOXO thank you<strong>**!**


End file.
